SQL*Plus commands allow a user to manipulate and submit SQL statements. Specifically, they enable a user to:

• Enter, edit, store, retrieve, and run SQL statements
• List the column definitions for any table
• Format, perform calculations on, store, and print query results in the form of reports
• Access and copy data between SQL databases

• / - Execute the current SQL statement in the buffer - same as RUN
• ACCEPT - Accept a value from the user and place it into a variable
• APPEND - Add text to the end of the current line of the SQL statement in the buffer
• AUTOTRACE - Trace the execution plan of the SQL statement and gather statistics
• BREAK - Set the formatting behavior for the output of SQL statements
• BTITLE - Place a title on the bottom of each page in the printout from a SQL statement
• CHANGE - Replace text on the current line of the SQL statement with new text
• CLEAR - Clear the buffer
• COLUMN - Change the appearance of an output column from a query
• COMPUTE - Does calculations on rows returned from a SQL statement
• CONNECT - Connect to another Oracle database or to the same Oracle database under a different user name
• COPY - Copy data from one table to another in the same or different databases
• DEL - Delete the current line in the buffer
• DESCRIBE - List the columns with datatypes of a table
• EDIT - Edit the current SQL statement in the buffer using an external editor such as vi or emacs
• EXIT - Exit the SQL*Plus program
• GET - Load a SQL statement into the buffer but do not execute it
• HELP - Obtain help for a SQL*Plus command (In some installations)
• HOST - Drop to the operating system shell
• INPUT - Add one or more lines to the SQL statement in the buffer
• LIST - List the current SQL statement in the buffer
• QUIT - Exit the SQL*Plus program
• REMARK - Place a comment following the REMARK keyword
• RUN - Execute the current SQL statement in the buffer
• SAVE - Save the current SQL statement to a script file
• SET - Set a variable to a new value
• SHOW - Show the current value of a variable
• SPOOL - Send the output from a SQL statement to a file
• START - Load a SQL statement located in a script file and then run that SQL statement
• TIMING - Used to time the execution of SQL statements for performance analysis
• TTITLE - Place a title on the top of each page in the printout from a SQL statement
• UNDEFINE - Delete a user defined variable

Note the distinction made between SQL*Plus Commands and SQL Statements. SQL*Plus commands are proprietary to the Oracle SQL*Plus tool. SQL is a standard language that can be used is just about any Relational Database Management System (RDBMS).

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